Help calm me, house buying and selling stress. Part 3

Grammaretto, do go and look because flood zones, as they used to be, are now not valid, many properties were out of the flood zone and have flooded this year

Shandy, my EA ammended my house when it was already listed, it won`t be a problem to them. You can relax now, it is showing in the best possible light. Late comers will not have time to do surveys so keep yours very close to your chest, remember, it is buyer beware ie up to them

SueH49 that's great news. I am so happy for you and for you DH. Such a relief!
And you have somewhere to move to. The tiles will at least be easy to clean but you may want to put something non slippery down especially for DH.

As you say Shandy it is out of your hands now so what's the use of worrying. as the old song goes.
I am gearing myself to accept the roofer's quote and get it done ASAP.
If, as craftyone says, there won't be so much house moving in future, even more reason to look after the one we're in.

I "found" a great house for DD on the internet but it's cheap because it's not in a very salubrious area. Not in a flood zone though...

Lovely photo Ellianne, such joy!

Craftyone I can't believe they've listed it with the errors, I couldn't work out how you'd seen it! Only got the particulars yesterday afternoon. Oh well, I'll have to go with the flow. I feel embarrassed my estate agents will see it

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-77537554.html

Morning from the west country where the weather is picking up now.
Great news Sue, hope your husband's recovery continues well.
A photo from last night for you animal lovers.
When your new cousin from London comes to stay in Devon! I secretly think he will be the next to move house to the country!

Nice to wake up to your good news SueH49, and as it's a leap year you have one extra day to get ready! As we are behind you time wise I'm assuming your husband is now home, best wishes to him for his full recovery. Back in his own bed at last! And watch those floors for both you and the dogs, carpet runners will be good. Wishing you every happiness.

I've just popped in to say I got the particulars for the auction catalogue last night. Few typing and measurement errors, and the bedroom photos were wrong (my fault because I hadn't realised my photographer hadn't co-ordinated with the floor plan), but I've amended and sent it back - they had a form for 'ammendments'. I think it's because I used to teach typing in the dark ages, I'm always surprised at people's lack of proofreading. I haven't heard back from my solicitor yet, I have two weeks, so will just have to be patient, he is a very busy man. I would prefer him to do my legal pack.

The auction is on March 25th and I am feeling so anxious about it, but it's out of my control. I met another person who recommended this auction house yesterday. I just have to sit tight now and see what happens.

I'm taking my puss cat down today, delivered the giant sack of cat litter yesterday, I'll take her basket and the cat tray shortly and come back for her. We think she's 14 or 15 as we adopted her as a stray, and I am worried about her coming back here, but I'll be blocking the cat flap. There's not a cat flap at the cottage, and I'll be keeping her in for two weeks.

See you later alligator!

niobe

Thank heavens Sue, some really good news at last. So happy for you re husband and the rental

Shandy, your new listing is super, may well attract unseen cash buyers from abroad. Just right, you have done well to get that far and with the prospect of never having to see to that big garden again

I used that CT1 sealant, it really is an excellent modern sealant (on youtube and engineer brother said `wow, just what I need`. I `sealed` 2 very awkward tight spaces this morning and needless to say, these sealer guns are designed for man hands. It was still sticky and I made a mess ie a pigs ear but it should be effective but fingers crossed, anyway no-one will ever look into those depths. A tip: if you ever use similar then wipes are pretty good for cleaning up

I see that Telford is now being evacuated, on news she said it takes about 4 days for upper reaches water to travel down, so the flooding is far from over. What if you had just exchanged on a flooded property, one that has never flooded before? I would walk away and lose my deposit

SueH49 that's great news about your husband and rental. At least having the rental start before you have to move out your house gives you chance to decide where to put everything. Will make moving easier for you both. Take care.

What great news Sue! So happy for you and your husband. Take great care with that floor and those outside steps though

Good news from Downunder today. H is coming home tomorrow and he looks to be able to manage everything he should be able to. And........... drum roll we have had our application for the rental I saw on Saturday accepted. Our lease starts on March 2 although we will probably not move in for a couple of weeks after that.

There are a couple of issues with the place that we will need to address. Much of the floor is porcelain tiles which I find slippery. I’m thinking that we will get some carpet runners to solve that. The other is that some of the external steps have no rail and are quite steep. Neither problem are insurmountable though and it is great to know we have somewhere to live.

I have followed this thread from the beginning of the first thread and Hetty’s comment is the first and only unhelpful one out of approximately 2500 postings!

I have moved 8 times and the first 7 were relatively straightforward and the first 6 were relatively cheap. So cheap and easy that many of us moved if we just fancied a change of home. It is completely different now and is a very big shock to those who have only ever done the easy moves. I expect that many cannot cope and just opt out, to stay put in homes that may be too big for them and would be better suited to a growing family

Moving in the future is going to be very different, no-one will move to an area that is flooded now or has been flooded, I cannot imagine the stress of having your home virtually wiped out. There will be added stress, not just a nice home but a safe area will be paramount to future buyers. As always it is buyer beware so that stress added to solicitor/EA generated buyer/seller stress, a nightmare

Hi Hetty, I can remember renting in the 70’s &80’s when it was easy to sling your belongings in a couple of bags and move to another place, but these days even going from rental to rental seems to be quite a lot more involved. My ds and dil recently moved from a pretty simple rental to first time house purchase and even though they are a chilled pair, there were still many hurdles to get over and timings etc to coordinate. There may be places where it’s as easy as you say but certainly not in the UK!

I think the good thing about this thread is the encouragement and support from others going through the moving process. We all had our trials and tribulations, but no one made light of them and I remember being grateful for helpful suggestions along the way. It certainly isn't just a case of putting the house up for sale, packing up belongings and getting a few people to help. We have moved 12 times and things have changed over the years in respect of more complicated paperwork, more regulations, more checks on money laundering etc etc. Maybe I'm getting older, but I felt I almost needed a degree in conveyancing to keep up with it all this last time round. Nothing is simple, the key is to hang in there and to keep as calm as possible.

Hetty58
You have shown disrespect to the stress/frustration/ heartache caused to posters on this thread by heartless solicitors and estate agents.
It takes a lot to bring my OH to his knees. He still races at Santa Pod and years ago he was on the Fastnet race where 15 sailors were drowned and 75 boats capsized.
But those b%#}{^*ds did?
I still feel so angry as to how we were treated that if one of them were to walk in front of my car, I might have a job breaking ?

Scaredykatt - so good hearing from you again. You and I moved on the same day and I have often wondered how things have gone with you.
Sorry to hear you have been ill - hope the worst is in the past now and you are able to enjoy your new property.
Last October now feels so very far away- so much has happened since those dreadful autumn months.
I do very occasionally miss the garden and wonder if all the bulbs are coming through and the azaelia starting to bloom. I am looking forward to Easter, after which I will try to sort out my balcony and get some pots, etc so this time next year I can see the daffs etc. coming to flower.

Thanks Whiff. I may just go with his quote. It seems a fair price. We've used them before and it is a very high house so definitely needs scaffolding.

It's just that we are feeling rather poor and know there are many expenses coming up. This is urgent though and keeping the old pile wind and water tight is important.
I think of the house we looked at recently for sale, very cheap, which had been left empty for over 15 years totally neglected. It was dangerous so we couldn't see inside but the upper floor had fallen in. We peered through the windows and saw a radiator and a hole in the ceiling where it had come through. There was dry rot too....
I feel for those flood affected so much.

Grammaretto I had a new garage roof put on in the autumn. 2 men worked all day, new roof timber, heat sealed underlay. Torched on felt. They worked off ladders. £1,500. Thought my chimney only need re pointing. But when they got onto my bungalow roof. The chimney stack was cracked from top to bottom . The first 3 layers of bricks where all loose . The dish the previous owner had on the chimney also damaged the rest of it. So had new chimney. Took them all day working off ladders. £1,250. So glad I had it done. Having the gable end repointing later in the year. Hope this has given you a guide for pricing. I know you need scaffolding as you have a house.

I have found this support group indispensable and I haven't even got as far as putting the house on the market or deciding where , if anywhere, to move to. That is my dilemma actually. We have so much invested in this area and we couldn't be more convenient for public transport, doctor, shops, city and countryside plus many friends and activities however our house is too big and our garden enormous.

The roofer called this morning and has just sent his quote for repairs: roughly. £1400, Gasp and intake of breath. Should I get a second quote? Ofcourse I should. He says the quote is based on 3 men working on a hired scaffold for a day replacing slates and flashings and repointing the chimney. k
Aren't you pleased you no longer need to worry about these things!

I am so glad you are all happily settled now too craftyone, Whiff, Franbern and ScaredyKatt

Hetty I can remember when my weekend bag was a paper carrier bag containing spare knickers and make up, and not much else but something has happened over the years.

Whiff I agree about it being exciting seeing new plants come up in the garden. I have a lovely camellia in flower at the moment, daffodils out and lots of as yet ‘unknowns' breaking through. Like you I am not going to do much until I can see what is already there.

Hetty58 if only it was that simple. Don't know if you are moving or have moved. But I can assure you none on this thread have made the problems ourselves. Dealing with viewing is ok if the people are nice . I don't know what happens to people when they go viewing some of the ones I had must have grown another head. And that one did nothing but nitpick. When I viewed even if I didn't like the bungalow I always found something positive to say about it. It's very hurtful to hear people saying awful things about your home. Dealing with estate agents and solicitors is not easy. Especially if you had lived in the same house for decades and they are demanding information from when you first brought it or before. Some of us have had to do it on our own through being widowed or divorced. Even though families can help to a degree we have to make all the decisions by ourself. For me life was so much easier when my husband was alive. Also some of us have moved a long way from where we used to live. I moved 112 miles to go north to be nearer to my children and grandchildren.

ScaredyKatt great to hear from you. Hope you are now fully recovered. So glad you are happy in your cottage.

It's exciting see what plants and flowers are coming up in the garden. Have a very pretty pink Hellebore in bloom in the front garden unfortunately it's coming up partly through a shrub. Already decided on what plants need to go later in the year I want to see what else appears before I make any final decisions. Not much of a gardener myself but my son will guide me.

Take care everyone.

It is friends supporting friends Hetty, many of us have a lifetime of happy memories with loved ones, tied up in things that we may have bought together or been given. You have been very lucky and I do hope that you never have to undergo the stress that most of us have gone through, not least of all starting with being widowed. Personally I had 49 questions from my buyers solicitor, 40 of which were nit picking and needed paperwork, that for a house only 9 years old and delving back to pre-planning permission.

Whiff I do hope that you get some re-assuring news after your echo and scaredykatt, a very warm welcome back and hoping you are fully recovered

I am going to do a little bit of maintenance this afternoon, seal up a few small areas either side of my electric garage door, driving rain goes everywhere. I am waiting for some super duper sealant from amazon and I can use it on damp areas. My obelisk came, its fab, will give my garden some more height. Only a few more weeks and I can start seed sowing

Hello everyone,

I've not been on the site for a while, partly because was ill, but I wanted to say again how helpful and reassuring it was to 'talk' to people in the same boat when I was frantic with worry about moving last October.

Shandy (took a while to realise you had changed name) - I'm pleased to hear that you have made the decision to put the house up for auction and I hope you get a good price and then can find somewhere suitable. In the meantime I hope you are soon settled into the cottage where you are not frantic with worry about all the might be going wrong.Though I realise of course that the Station House is still your responsibility for a while.

Crafty, Whiff, Franbern and others - really nice to read your news. I also tend to batch cook but will usually only have the same meal twice and freeze the rest. Crafty - I have a bread maker. For many years I made bread by hand but bought the BM about 10 years ago and it’s great. Though I do still sometimes make some soda bread by hand.

All my stress and worry seems a distant memory now and I absolutely love my cottage. Various bits of work needed doing, some has been done and the rest will gradually get done. I had a wood burner fitted recently and it’s great.
Best wishes to you all and thank so much for the virtual support I gained from this site.

Oh Hetty - it is not the actual move that is the problem - it is the selling and buying of property before that. And, then - even the move. Whereas I agree that we could get rid of a lot of 'stuff' we have accumulated in our lives - why should we? If it has happy memories attached what is wrong with keeping it. And, it is not quite as simple as you make out - arrangements have to be made regarding utilities, wi fi, land lines, doctors, dentists, pets, ongoing medication, etc. etc.
You make it sound like the old song of packing up the van with me old home in it........but life is so much more complicated these days.
It is the overthinking that usually helps to make the actual move as less stressful as possible. Those who have too much of a 'laissez faire' attitude to such a large upheaval are usually those who get into all sorts of problems.
Anyway, welcome - Hetty- to this thread. Are you / have you been in the process of moving recently?
suppose it is a lot easier if just renting property, but the long drawn out process of selling and buying property in this country is something that causes so many problems and so much stress.
Storm seems to be passed (again), lovely bright and sunny morning. After yesterday afternoon sunshine, the wind and rain returned with a vengeanance last night. Again, I was so happy that I was tucked up in this flat - no concerns about fencing, roofing, guttering etc.
Shandy, do keep us closely informed about the auction. When, in March is it due to happen? And, are you now actually living in your rental?

Crikey - 24 pages! Moving can be simple. Pack up (or dispose of) your belongings. 95% of them are totally unnecessary anyway. Hire a van and some strong people and move on - job done. It's all the planning and overthinking that's exhausting, not moving in itself!